-Levi POV (New York)-
I slammed the office door hard enough that the frame shuddered.
My father didn't flinch.
He stood near the window, perfectly composed, gazing down at the city like he didn't just throw a goddamn grenade into my life.
"Have you lost your goddamn mind?" I snapped, voice already raised before I even crossed the room.
His eyes slid towards me, calm as ever. Annoyingly unreadable.
"Be specific, Levi." He said, like this was any other boardroom conversation. "You've said that often enough that I've stopped assuming it's serious."
"You promised me you won't involve Haruka in this anymore." My voice is sharp.
He turned fully now, adjusting the cuff of his suit. "And I didn't."
I stepped in closer. "You released the engagement news to the public."
"And?" He said, as if he'd done nothing wrong.
"You don't think that affects him?" My voice dropped into something sharp and dangerous. "You don't think he saw the article? The entire company probably has by now."
He raised an eyebrow, unmoved. "I didn't mention him. There was no press release linking you to Mr. Auclair. This article was about a strategic engagement with the Fontaine family. Period."
"Bullshit!" I hissed. "You knew what it would do. You knew what people would say. You just wanted it out before I could stop."
He didn't deny it.
Instead, he walked towards the table, picking up the printed article, and calmly placed it in front of me like it was nothing more than a business report.
"This," he said, tapping the page, "secures our hold in three major cross-market collaborations. Forma Atelier, Delacroix Galleries, and their private investors. And the Fontaine girl requested the announcement. She asked to move forward. Publicly."
I stared at him, breath short.
"You're lying." I said with a glare.
Of course I know he's lying. Amelie didn't want this either.
"Tch. You're getting engaged on your birthday. This weekend. The event will be held in Paris. Miss Fontaine requested that herself."
Something in me stopped.
I blinked slowly.
Of course she requested it. Because I told her to.
To carry out our plan.
To push the engagement into the public eye, control the narrative, and corner him into loosening his grip.
But now that it's come to this…
Does the plan still even matter? Will the plan still work?
Haruka knows.
And I wasn't the one who told him.
His face flashed in my mind. Soft, gentle, vulnerable. The way he looked at me before I left. The way he said, "I'll be waiting for you here."
My throat tightened.
I turned away from my father before the anger could boil over into something else.
"Enough of this already," he said behind me. "Your feelings, or who you like or love, none of that matters here. You're an Ackerman. You'll do your duty, and you'll show up to your own engagement in Paris."
I didn't answer.
Not because I agreed.
But because for the first time since this entire mess started, I wasn't sure who the hell I was still trying to protect. Haruka, the Ackerman family name, or the version of myself that still believed I had control over any of it.
Without saying anything, I walked towards the door to leave.
The moment I left his office, I pulled out my phone and called Haruka while walking. Sophia's walking behind me.
No answer.
I tried again.
Still nothing.
My stomach dropped.
Not a missed call. Not even a "Can't talk now." Just… silence.
I texted.
"Haru-chan, call me back. Please. I can explain everything."
After a few minutes, there's still nothing.
I knew that silence. It wasn't anger. It was something worse. Pain.
I turned to Sophia and looked at her with a sharp gaze. "Book me the earliest flight to Paris."
She blinked. "Sir… Yes, but the earliest flight is in three hours."
"That won't do." I snapped. "Get the Ackerman private jet here. Now."
"Mr. Ackerman, your father…."
"Forget him. He's not the one managing the New York branch. Call the hangar and dispatch it immediately. I'll speak to Uncle Kenny if needed."
She hesitated. Then nodded quickly. "Yes, sir."
By the time I reached the car, the jet was already preparing for takeoff.
-Hours Later (Paris - Haruka's Penthouse)-
It was night when I landed in Paris, but I didn't care.
I didn't go home. I didn't check in with the office. I didn't even call Ray.
I went straight to him.
I stood outside Haruka's penthouse. Card key in hand, and I opened the door.
The moment I opened the door, someone's hand collided with my cheek.
It was Hanabi.
She stood in the doorway. Chest heaving, tears clinging to her lashes, as if she'd cried for hours and still hadn't run out.
"You lied to me!" She screamed.
I stood still. Didn't raise my voice. Didn't defend myself.
"You said you'd never make him cry! You looked me in the eyes and promised, Levi!"
Her fists clenched at her sides.
"And now… now I don't even know where my brother is. No one does! Even Ray isn't answering. Onii-chan's not picking up. He disappeared after he saw that article, and no one could find him!"
Her voice cracked. Her body shook. And still, she kept going.
"You're supposed to protect him, not break him! You said you loved him. So why does he look like someone shattered his entire world?!"
I couldn't speak.
Because everything she said was true.
"Hana-chan, calm down…" Lauren stepped in gently, arms out. "Maybe we should let Levi explain first. I know this is hard, but…"
"Lauren, stop." My voice is low but sharp.
She looked at me, surprised.
I turned to Hanabi.
Her chest heaved. Her hands trembled. Her eyes were full of grief and fury all at once.
I didn't try to stop her. Didn't try to defend myself.
Instead, I took a slow breath.
"Hanabi." I said quietly. "I'm not going to explain everything. Not now."
Her eyes widened, disbelief crossing her face again. "What?!"
"I know that whatever I say right now, you'll hear it as an excuse. And you're right to."
She blinked hard, like she didn't know whether to scream again or cry harder.
"I made the decision to protect him, and I failed to protect what mattered the most… his heart."
I looked down, then back up at her.
"I hurt him."
Lauren shifted slightly, arms crossed, expression unreadable. She said nothing.
"But I promise you this," I continued. "I'll find your brother. I'll bring him back no matter what it takes. Because Haruka…"
I paused, the aches in my chest made my voice rougher.
"...he's the only one I love."
Hanabi covered her mouth, sobbing quietly now. But then, she looked at me again.
"I want to believe you." She muttered in her shaky voice. "But right now, I just can't."
She grabbed her coat and then walked towards the door. She didn't even look at me.
"Levi, why didn't you just explain…"
"Lauren, this is the best. At least for now. You should go. Hanabi needs someone to comfort her right now." I said with a low voice, forcing a smile on me.
Lauren didn't say anything. She just walked towards the door, and then the door closed behind her.
I was left standing there. The sting on my cheek fading but everything else tightening around my ribs like a vice.
But now, nothing mattered except to find him.
The city lights blurred past the window as the car cut through the streets of Paris. I wasn't sure where I was going. I just needed to move.
The silence in the penthouse is too much.
Too still. Too cold.
The ghost of Haruka lingered in every corner. His scent. His books. The way his sweater was still folded over the back of the couch like he was planning to wear one later.
But he was gone. And no one knew where.
No one except Ray.
I called him again. Straight to voicemail. Again. Same result.
"Damn it." I muttered, gripping the phone tighter.
I stared at the screen like it owed me something. My reflection in the black mirror stared back — exhausted, bloodshot, and barely holding it together.
Then, just as I was about to call one more time, my phone lit up. Incoming call.
Ray.
I answered on the first ring.
"Ray. Where's Haruka?"
A beat of silence, then his voice came through. Steady, composed. Too composed.
"Levi." He said. "I'm sorry. I can't tell you."
"What?" My voice sharpened. "Ray, listen to me. I need to explain. I need to see him."
"I know." He said quietly. "But he… needs some time, Levi."
"I don't have time," I snapped. "He thinks I betrayed him. He thinks I…" I stopped myself. My throat tightened. "I just need to see him. To fix it."
Another silence.
Then Ray said, "He doesn't want to be found out, Levi. At least, not now."
I closed my eyes, pressing a hand against my temple. "Just tell me where he is. I don't care if I have to wait outside all night, I just need to know he's safe."
"He is safe." Ray replied. "I made sure of that. But Levi… I can't give you his location. That's his order. And I follow his orders, not yours."
That stung more than I expected.
"I'm sorry." Ray continued, softer now. "You don't need to worry. I'll protect him. Always."
"I know you will." I said, barely above a whisper.
Because that was the truth. Ray would die for him.
And right now, Haruka didn't want to see me. Didn't want to hear me.
He just wanted distance.
And the one man in this city who could find him for me... was choosing to protect him from me.
"I didn't want it to be like this," I muttered.
Ray was quiet.
"Tell him…" I hesitated. "Tell him I'm not giving up. Not ever."
"I will," Ray said.
Then the call ended.
And I was alone again.
Sitting in the back of a car with no destination. With nothing but silence and the pounding ache of knowing the person I loved the most didn't want to be found. Because I was the reason he disappeared.
I lowered my phone slowly, letting the weight of Ray's words settle over me like concrete.
"He doesn't want to be found."
"I followed his orders, not yours."
I closed my eyes and leaned back in my seat, every bone in my chest aching. I felt powerless. Something I hadn't felt in years. Not when facing negotiations. Not in front of my father. But this?
This was different.
Haruka didn't want to see me. And maybe he would never again.
The quiet inside the penthouse was thick. Suffocating.
Then…
My phone rang. Again.
I looked down, frowning.
It was from the hospital.
I answered immediately. "Yes?"
A nurse's voice came through. Polite but urgent.
"Mr. Ackerman?"
"Yes. Speaking."
"You need to come to the hospital. Right away."
My chest went still.
"What happened?" I asked, sitting forward.
"I'm sorry, sir. I can't say more over the phone. But it's urgent. Please come as soon as possible."
The line was cut.
I stared at the screen for a second longer.
Grandfather.
No. Not now.
TO BE CONTINUED!!!